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Product Reviews:
All in One Clamp A-50 50-Inch Grip Clamp Guide w/T-track |
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Summary: Worth the money in the time it saves.
Comments: I purchased this a few weeks ago (from Amazon) with the wide jaws because of the endorseations here. I agree purchase the jaw set, in fact I think they should just be sold as1unit. I am pleased and did not have any problems using the tool. It sure beats using a board and clamps.
The distance from the edge of my saw's baseplate to the blade is not a nice even number. I made a little story stick (which I tend to misplace between projects) for this as I never remember the setting and would have to re-measure. I know there are many ways to do this however I like to do as few adjustments and measurements as possible. I did not purchase the saw guide however was curious if it would eliminate or simplify the alignment step.
I attended a woodworking show this past weekend and the gentleman from Emerson had a booth and was demonstrating the different clamps. I stopped by to see if they had the saw guide. However after watching a few minutes I realized I did not need one, at least to ensure alignment. All you have to do is attach a piece of hardwood to the wide jaws that is wider than the distance to your saws blade and then cut off the excess. You now have an alignment tool calibrated to your saw. I like to think if I used it a few more times I would have thought of that however I give credit where credit is due. however watching the demo gave me many more ideas of how these clamps can save time and increase accuracy in my work. You can make other jigs and attach them to the clamp using inexpensive T-bolts that will fit in the tracks on top. I was so impressed that I purchased a few more at the show.
I also learned that Emerson is a small company and I like supporting these types of businesses. And yes when you do deal with a small business sometimes you do run into problems with less than excellent response times. As the owner of1myself (I am the CEO and the guy who takes out the trash) I know all customers are important however you can not always respond the way eone would like e time. I hope customers understand this and realize that if we do not have these small startup companies we will be missing out on a lot of new an innovating things. I also hope the reviewer who gave the poor rating has resolved the difference and will give them another chance.
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Rating: 3 (out of 5)
Summary: I like the Tru-Grip stuff a bit better
Comments: Decent design, however it doesn't always clamp straight. Therefore, you end up with a less that squarecut. I wouldn't use this for cutting down the length of a door if you are going for square. Decent for the price, though I'd rather pay more for the Tru-grip models. |
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Summary: Best Guide I Ever purchased
Comments: I have been thinking about getting1of these for a long time. I finally ordered the 50" & 24" the 50" came today & it is the best guide I have ever purchased. I will definitly get the 99" & 36".
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Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: great for ripping
Comments: This is great for ripping 4'x8' sheets of plywood. Ignore any of the endorseed accessories except for the wide jaws. The saw and router guides are really cheap and you really do not need them anyway. |
Rating: 3 (out of 5)
Summary: Flexing and other issues
Comments: The product is useful, and speeds up panel cuts (etc), however it is far from perfect.
When cutting a sheet of 4-foot-wide 3/4" plywood, it clamps securely, however the guide can flex significan notly if you push too hard in the middle, resulting in a cut that is not straight. The less wide the wood, the less of an issue this is.
I was able to push mine more than the reported 1/16" in the middle when used across a sheet of plywood (4'). To me, ANY amount of flexing is a problem, because it is inevitable that I have to push the tool against the edge while cutting. However, use of the optional tool guides presumably reduces the problem, because when using them you do not have to push against the guide.
Another reviewer suggested clamping a piece of the wood to support the middle of the straight-edge. A great solution, however it takes away from the instant-setup convenience this tool is said to offer.
Years ago I purchased an aluminum straight edge called Cutters Edge II. I can not find it in google so I assume it is no longer available. It was substantially more rigid than this one, and it came in24' lengths which could be joined together. However, its clamping system was much less convenient than this one.
I have not tried it yet, however I suspect this guide would not work well for thin sheets, such as plywood less than 1/4". Because the clamps rely on edge-to-edge force, thin sheets have the potential to bow with this kind of clamping force applied.
The All-in-One Clamp Guide seems to be best suited to 90-degree cuts, yet they do not have any means of ensuring that the cut will be square. There is a squaring attachment (wide jaws), however measuring and/or checking with a square will still be required.
I only just learned about the "Ultra" model that is 100 inches long. That's the tool I really need (for ripping sheets), and I wish I had purchased it instead. Being wider, it should flex less, however with its longer span, it is more subject to flexing. however it's expensive, and I could easily build my own jig, albeit using clamps that are not as quick to use, however with immeasurable flexing. |
